Electric switch.



G. G. WHITE.

BLEGTRIU SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED rmm, m4.

1,114,831 Patented Oct;27,1914.

4 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 11. E H 26 a 1H] 1 HI! 5 B I6 I 6 I5 I! 70 I 77 I I7 .75 r F CLAYTON G. WHITE, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 2, 1914. Serial No. 816,018.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAYTON G. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, .in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches; and I do declare the following to be a full,

7 clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in electric switches and more particularly to those which are provided with indicating dials and fingers which must be moved to predetermined positions in order to complete the electric circuit. v

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be simple, strong and eiiicient in operation and readily adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

A secondary object is to provide means whereby a great number of entirely difiierent combinations may be used for operating the same switch. This feature will enable the device to be constructed in one form which may be used in a great number of places, each one of said devices having an entirely diiferent combination.

\Vith the above objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and combination herein described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved sWitch; Fig. 2 is aplan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 6; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 55 of Fig. l; and Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 of F ig. 3. 1

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown a casing l which is preferably rectangular and is provided with forwardly pro ecting lugs 2 on its top 3, bottom 4;, and end walls 5, said lugs normally projecting through slots in a face plate 6 and being upset to retain said plate in position. The back plate 7 of the casing 1 and the face plate 6 are provided with alined bearing openings 8 in which are revolubly journaled the outer and inner reduced ends 9 and 9' of hollow drums 10. The bores of the drums 10 extend throughout their entire length and are closed, at their forward ends, by operating disks 11 which are provided with flanges 12 which project into said bores. Locking pins 13 are inserted through the drums l0 and the flanges 1:2 for keying the same together. .The inner ends of the drums 10 are internally threaded for the reception of nuts 14 which are provided with circular openings in their centers for a purpose. to apear.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

Each drum 10is provided with a plurality of longitudinal gr0oves'15 in itsperiphery and with openings 16, extending from said grooves into the bores of said drums. The grooves 15 are provided for the reception of contact plates 17 through which and the openings 16, pass screws 18, the latter being threaded into sockets 19 formed integrally with L-shaped arms 20 which carry rigid bearing balls 21 on their free ends. The balls 21 form one member of a swiveled connection between the arms 20 and binding posts 22which pass loosely through the openings in the nuts let, the other member of each swiveled connection being in the form of a socket 23 carried rigidly by the inner end of each binding post In other words,.the connections between the bindin posts 52 and the arms 20 are ball and socket joints and as shown, said joints are disposed in the centers of the drums 10. Each binding post 22 is provided with a suitable longitudinal bore in which its respective cur- .rent conducting wire is adapted to be inserted and secured by a set screw 24.

Contacting with the peripheries of the drums 10 are contact balls 25 which are revolubly mounted between curved fingers 26, depending rigidly from resilient arms 27 which are electrically connected to the inner ends of binding posts 28, the latter extending through the top 3 of the casing l and being insulated therefrom.

It has been stated that the grooves 15 are designed for the reception of the contact plates 17. They are however, designed for a second purpose also, since, when the drums 10 are turned by their operating disks 11, the resiliency of the arms 27 will force the balls 25 into said grooves and will thus form a frictional lock for holding the drums 10 in any one of their numerous positions.

One of the disks 11 is provided with an annular series of figures rangin from 1 to 10 while the other disk is provi ed with an annular series of letters. The number of figures or letters on the disks 11 will be the same as the number of grooves 15 in their respective drums 10. The figures and letters are adapted to co-act with suitable indicators 29 on the face plate 6.

In the operationof the device, assuming that the contact plates 17 are positioned 1n certain of the grooves 15 and that when in this position, the numeral 1 will register with one of the indicators 29 while the letter i A will register with the other indicator, the

circuit will be completed and the current will flow through the binding posts 22, the arms 20, the screws 18, the contact plates 17 the balls and arms 25 and 27 and lastly through the binding posts 28 from which it may be conducted by suitable wires connected thereto. When it is desired to break the current, it is simply necessary to rotate the disks 11 which will of course move the plates 17 out of contact with the balls 25. If the combination of the switch is not known, various attempts may be made to complete the circuit by rotating the disks 11 but the attempt will be futile since but one combi nation l A, known only by the legitimate operator) will complete the circuit, it being understood that the switch mechanism, at each end of the casing, is included within the circuit to be completed. It is possible of course, that various attempts might have the desired result, but it is highly improbable.

From the foregoing description and the illustration in the drawings, it will be readily understood that a great number of combinations may be obtained by simply removing the screws 18 whereupon the plates 17 may be located in other grooyes 15 and said screws again inserted through said plates and certain of the openings 16 into their sockets 19. The great number of combinations to be thus obtained, render my invention particularly adaptable for use in connection with automobiles and motor boats since, as above stated, it will be practically -'impossible for any unauthorized person to complete the circuit which operates the sparking mechanism as is readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An electric switch comprising a casing,

i a plurality-of hollow cylindrical drums revolubly mounted therein, a contact point on the periphery of each of said drums, a rig idly held binding post projecting into the bore of each of said drums, a swivele connection between said binding posts and said contact points, contact arms bearing yieldingly upon the peripheries of said drums and external means for rotating said drums and for determining the position of said contact points in respect to said contact arms.

2. An electric switch comprising a casing,

a plurality of hollow cylindrical drums revolubly mounted therein, each of. said drums having a transverse groove in its periphery, a contact plate in each of said grooves, a rigidly held binding post projecting into the bore of each drum at the center thereof, an arm projecting radially inward from each contact plate and having a revoluble connection with the binding post within the drum in which it projects, contact arms frictionally engaged with the peripheries of said drums, and external means for determining the positioning of said contact plates in respect to said contact arms.

3. An electric switch comprising a casing,

a plurality of hollow cylindrical drums rev-.

olubly mounted therein and provided with transverse grooves in their peripheries and with openings extending from said grooves into their bores, a contact plate removably seated in one of the grooves of each of said drums, rigidly held binding posts projecting into the bores of said drums and each carrying a bearing journal revolubly connected to its inner end, screws passing through said contact plates and said openings and into said bearing journals, contact ,rms supported by said casing and bearing yieldingly upon the peripheries of said drums and external means for rotating said drums and for determining the positioning of said contact plates in respect to said contact arms.

4.. An electric switch comprising a casing, a plurality of hollow cylindrical drums revolubly mounted therein, rigidly held binding posts projecting into the bores of said drums and each carrying a bearing journal revolubly connected to its inner end, contact screws passing. through the walls of said drums and threaded into said bearing journals, contact arms carried by said cas ing and in frictional contact with the peripheries of said drums and external means for rotating said drums and for determining the positioning of said contact screws in respect to said contact arms.

5. An electrical switch comprising a casing, a hollow cylindrical drum revolubly mounted therein, a contact point on the periphery of said drum, a rigidly held binding post projecting into the bore of said drum, a swiveled connection between said binding post and said contact point, a contact arm bearing yieldingly upon the periphery of said drum and external means for determining the position of said contact point in respect to said contact arm.

6. An electrical switch comprising a casing, a hollow cylindrical drum revolubly mounted therein, a contact point on the periphery of said drum, a rigidly heldbinding post projectinginto the bore of said my hand i11 presence of two'subscribing witl(3mm, a swiveled connection between said neses.

inding pbst and said contact point a contact, arm bearing gieldingly upcn the CLAYTON WPHITE" 5 periphery of sai rum and means for Witnesses: rotating said drum to close the circuit. DENTON GUINNESS,

Intestiinony whereof I have hereupto set ALEXANDER H. FUss.

Come: ot this patent may be obtained for in cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IEateiif,"

Wgshington, D. C." 

